MAY 2016 "Land of the Free Because of the brave!" Hatch-a-Long Hosted by, Mike & Sally

[Farmer Viola]

I'd leave them alone. If you have a cardboard box around, you can make them a 'huddle' box. Basically, you just cut out an opening so they can get in and out, and it helps them feel more secure, plus retain a bit more body heat while they feather in. Removing them from the flock would just mean reintegration stress later on. At 4 weeks they do generate quite a lot of body heat, and huddling together they way they are is likely keeping them all plenty warm. Chicks are much more hardy than many think.

Thank you! They are in an enclosed box where the mama was sitting as a nest (it's a plastic dog/cat crate). I wasn't clear before though, they are in a separate pen from the rest of the flock. I have many different barn sections for chicks, breeding projects, etc. So when she went broody she got her own apartment. I was actually wanting to move her nest box into the main flock soon.. do you think she'll continue to care for and protect them during the day now that she's roosting?

 

[junebuggena]

Nope. You missed the window. For that reason, I never isolate broodies from the flock. She'll be a stranger and will be too busy dealing with her pecking order issues to even consider the chicks that are, to her mind, grown and no longer need her. Not a good situation all around. At this point, there may also be pecking order issues if you try to put them in with the other chicks you have. If you can, set them up as close to the flock as possible and let them live in proximity for at least a week. I find that introductions go the smoothest if the flock can hear and see the chicks, but not get to them for safety reasons, for a while. Then I let the chicks have access to the 'adult' run, but still give them a 'safe zone' where they can get to, but the larger adults can't follow.

 

[generaldsherman]

Update on my may 7 hatch: 6/9 hatched. 2 quitters 1 malposition. Took a quick peak at my last 10 eggs on day 12, 2 blood-rings 8 veining.
Really proud of my Easter HAL chicks today. Didn't notice until today how much the ameraucana pullet's beard & muff was coming in; so cute! Also caught my Dominique pullet following the older white leghorn up to the roost for the first time, what a pretty thing she is!

 

[Farmer Viola]

Nope. You missed the window. For that reason, I never isolate broodies from the flock. She'll be a stranger and will be too busy dealing with her pecking order issues to even consider the chicks that are, to her mind, grown and no longer need her. Not a good situation all around. At this point, there may also be pecking order issues if you try to put them in with the other chicks you have. If you can, set them up as close to the flock as possible and let them live in proximity for at least a week. I find that introductions go the smoothest if the flock can hear and see the chicks, but not get to them for safety reasons, for a while. Then I let the chicks have access to the 'adult' run, but still give them a 'safe zone' where they can get to, but the larger adults can't follow.

Gah! I thought I had more time! This is my first time with a broody turkey, but all the broody hens have stayed on for 6 or 8 weeks with the babies.

The setup is hardware cloth separating main flock and grow out chicks (4-8wks). Hardware cloth separating chicks and broody mama. So they live in proximity of each other but not sharing a direct wall with the flock. I'm thinking they'll integrate best with the chicks growibg out next to them...

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Egg update for me

Day 14 and I have removed 10/18 eggs that were clear. Only 8 left in there cooking away.
Pretty dissapointed about this hatch, can't wait to be using my own eggs again.

 

[chickencrazy21]

I have a broody grey andilusion (spelling? I butcher words but not my chickens lol) i noticed she was broody for 3 days hissing (chicken equivilant) as i would get eggs from under her. Quick craigslist search found a dozen eggs. Set up a crate set the eggs in a box and put food and water. Had a small struggle locked her up and said a prayer lol. 2 days on the eggs. Eggs were laid sat. I put her on them sunday night. Im not sure when they will hatch. She has a dozen that i bought fertle but didnt check. And two she had hoarded and refused to leave behind. I cant seem to post pictures. I am so excited!

 

[BrieCheese23]

17 quails hatched! 3 DIS :/ 29 left to go. Most of the rest are pipped and a couple chicken eggs are pipped, one corn, one Silkie! Today is day 17 for quails and day 20 for chicks. They have until Friday/Sat, then the welsummers go in. Monday after is meat chickens and my mother's button quails. I foresee a lot of sleepless nights and impatient days in my future xD

 

[weegarden]

What color are these? Are they blue, light blue, or splash? Very cute!

Well i have no idea. I bought silkie sizzle eggs from ebay. When they arrived their were 16 in the box 6 were smashed. 8 made it to lock down and 4 hatched. After the incubator incident i guess i better be glad of what i got.

They are really adorable! I have some that look just like them, and they are from my special black, blue and splash pen. So I was just wondering if you knew. They look really nice so far. I think you got a nice little bunch. I think mine are from my black rooster and splash hen which would make blue chicks. But I think there is light blue and dark blue. I'm just so excited to see them grow out! Good luck with yours!

So started with 44 eggs after clears and quitters 30 went into lockdown. 20 hatched. 3 looked like DIS first day in lockdown. But the others.... stuck to the membrane could not turn to zip. Some did pip others died before pipping. Lost 1 after hatching so i had a 45 % hatch rate if you count what I started with. 66% if you count just what went to lockdown. I think it would have gone better if my daughter had not been opening the bator to get out the empty shells and rearrange the pipped eggs so they could see them better. THEN replaced too much water and got everything in there soaked. Oh well lesson learned i bet she never touches my incubatir again. She feels so bad. She said im so sorry i killed 11 chicks.

Poor little thing. That is a really tough lesson to learn. They get so excited.

Well day 9 of my croads langshans and the scrambled MPC order. 8 MPC batch no good. 14 croads....1 clear. 9 quitters all had big blood rings didnt look like the got past day 3. I have 4 eggs left in there. All lonely and stuff. 2 air cells are really wobbly. 2 look good.

So sorry. That stinks! I hope your four do well.

Update on my may 7 hatch: 6/9 hatched. 2 quitters 1 malposition. Took a quick peak at my last 10 eggs on day 12, 2 blood-rings 8 veining.
Really proud of my Easter HAL chicks today. Didn't notice until today how much the ameraucana pullet's beard & muff was coming in; so cute! Also caught my Dominique pullet following the older white leghorn up to the roost for the first time, what a pretty thing she is!

Aww, cute! They grow up so quickly. :0)

I have a broody grey andilusion (spelling? I butcher words but not my chickens lol) i noticed she was broody for 3 days hissing (chicken equivilant) as i would get eggs from under her. Quick craigslist search found a dozen eggs. Set up a crate set the eggs in a box and put food and water. Had a small struggle locked her up and said a prayer lol. 2 days on the eggs. Eggs were laid sat. I put her on them sunday night. Im not sure when they will hatch. She has a dozen that i bought fertle but didnt check. And two she had hoarded and refused to leave behind. I cant seem to post pictures. I am so excited!

Fun! Congrats!

 

[rossfam06]

I finally just set 12 Ayam Cemani eggs (shipped) and 19 SLP eggs (personal). I set them yesterday so on my daughters 4th birthday is their due date!

 

[weegarden]

My baby silkies from last week. I have 6 of them. I think they are from my black rooster and splash hen. So, that would make them blue babies. Does anyone know if these will turn out light blue, or if they will be dark blue? I have not gotten baby blues before and am very excited! The parents are very nice quality.

I have more hatching today, 6 rocks and 4 silkies, and one of the silkies is extremely special. I really need it to hatch because my best of show mamma is getting older and didn't lay at all last year. She just started laying again!!!! I NEED that baby! My humidity is only at 51 and I'm not sure how to get it higher without opening the incubator. I don't want to take any chances with that one special egg.

One of the rocks is cheeping like crazy. I just looked 15 minutes ago, and there was just a pip, but it sure sounds like it could be out now. Time for a quick peek!

Not out yet, but it's zipping away, and there are two more rocks pipped. There is no movement on the four silkies at all yet though. Day 21 started at 9:00 last night, so hopefully they are internally pipped, or will be soon. I don't hear them pipping yet. Come on silkie babies!

I'm really hoping the humidity will go up and stay up after the rock comes out. I don't like to leave them in for risk of rolling the silkies around, but I do have them separated in a plastic net bag. if I do grab it out, I will throw in some hot wet paper towels.